Cats, people who want to adopt them take personality tests

Pansy is a black Persian cat who loves an orderly household and likes to help people relax.

Slim Jim is an orange Tabby cat who is adventurous, likes to lead but still makes time to show his affectionate side.

Which cat best fits your personality?

A Frankenmuth cat adoption center is ready to help residents meet their match.

Pet Angel Adoption & Rescue Inc. offers Meet Your Match Feline-ality. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of New York City developed the testing for animals and potential adopters.

The nonprofit brought the service to mid-Michigan in late November. It includes research-based animal behavior assessments that aim to increase adoption rates and reduce animal returns at shelters.

"Matching personalities make a better fit in the home," said Nancy L. Engel, 45, president of Pet Angel. "A big reason for returns is because personalities don't match."

No other shelter or business in mid-Michigan offers the service, she said.

"We want people to find their forever pet," said Robert Reiling, 36, a Frankenmuth resident and volunteer at the animal center. "This program helps them find it."

Meet Your Match uses surveys and behavior assessments, for the cats and potential adopters, to make the best possible match based on a point and color system.

The process begins when animal shelter staff members evaluate the cat's responses when approached, called, stroked and hugged. Other rankings are for sensitivity, playfulness and behavior in a new environment.

The Cat Adopter Survey asks potential pet owners questions about their lifestyle and how they see the cat fitting into their lives. Tallied points tell the shelter what color group the cats and adopters belong to.

For example, green adopters are successful with cats who quickly adapt to new situations, purple people are good for cats needing time to adjust to new environments, and folks rated orange fit well with cats desiring companionship.
Among cats, those in the green group are adventurous, orange cats are great sidekicks and purple cats seek affection and stay out of trouble.

The ASPCA says its Meet Your Match system is the only research-based method available to shelters nationwide that integrates the adopter's preference with animal behavior to create a connection.

The cruelty prevention group reports that shelters testing Meet Your Match found a 40 to 45 percent increase in adoptions and a 45 to 50 percent decrease in returns and euthanasia.

"The key to developing successful adoption lies in making good matches between adopters and pets, thus creating lasting bonds," said Dr. Emily Weiss, the ASPCA's senior director of shelter behavior programs and researcher of Meet Your Match.

Engel learned about the effort at a Michigan Humane Society animal welfare conference in Lansing in October. Engel said she couldn't wait to implement Meet Your Match at her rescue center.

The adoption center has housed more than 300 cats since 2004 but has not made any Meet Your Match adoptions yet. It has 44 cats ready for homes. Altered cats cost $100; unaltered kittens cost $75 plus a $25 spay-or-neuter deposit.

Pet Angel will host Super Adoption Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Sunday until Jan. 13. Volunteers help customers find their cat matches. During the week, adoption hours are by appointment only.